Thundering into the race weekend

LONG BEACH - Pushing her young child in a stroller, an expectant Sandra Milicev braved the crowds Thursday and waited in line to get race-car drivers' autographs for the biggest race fan she knows.

Her father, Perica Milicev.

"We're fans, but my dad is the biggest fan and he couldn't be here," said the Long Beach resident, who was there with mom, Eva.

"They're all cool and really, really nice," she said, showing a large poster filled with signatures addressed to Agisa, her father's racing nickname. "We grew up around racing. My dad raced motorcycles. We love it."

The race fans were among thousands to turn out for Tecate Thunder Thursday on Pine Avenue, presented by the Downtown Long Beach Associates and the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. The event offered attendees a taste of what's to come.

The city's largest event of the year, the three-day Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, begins today. It features six races all weekend, including Formula D Drifting, the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race and the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Downtown's main street, Pine Avenue, was packed with spectators who craned their necks to watch motorcycles leap and pivot in the air and professional pit-stop competitors demonstrate their skills. Fans got to check out race cars on display and score some drivers' autographs.

Spectators of all ages - from toddlers sitting on their parents' shoulders to seniors in wheelchairs - filled the patios of Pine Avenue restaurants to watch the spectacle.

Long Beach resident Lois Thomas took her two grandchildren, Deira, 10, and Dedrick, 7, to Thunder Thursday to get autographs from the drivers.

"I promised my grandchildren I would bring them out to this event," she said.

Holding a racing poster covered in autographs that was almost as tall as him, Dedrick added: "It was good!"

Grand Prix Association CEO and President Jim Michaelian said he was pleased with the turnout, which he estimated at 7,000 to 8,000 people.

"We see this and the Roar at Belmont Shore as great promotional tools leading up to the weekend's activities, and so far they've more than lived up to its promise," Michaelian said.

Thunder Thursday continued well into the night with the Tecate Miss Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Pageant, featuring more than a dozen contestants hoping to represent the Grand Prix in race weekend festivities and various Southern California civic events, including car shows and parades.

In the end, Stephani Costanza, 24, a Burbank-based special effects makeup artist, bested 17 other contestants for the crown. Adriana Davalos and Kristina Morrison were first- and second-runner up, respectively.